Turquoise Alert issued in Arizona for girl, 6, reportedly taken by non-custodial mother

(KHNL/KTVK/KPHO/Gray News) - A search for a 6-year-old girl and her non-custodial mother that began in Hawaii has now triggered the first-ever Turquoise Alert in Arizona.

An emergency alert was issued Wednesday night in Arizona for 6-year-old Violet Coultas-Benson, who was reportedly taken by her non-custodial mother, 48-year-old Sarah Coultas, in violation of a court order. It is the first Turquoise Alert issued in the state.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety says the pair were last seen at the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport around 10 p.m. July 12. A warrant has been issued for Coultas’ arrest.

Coultas was initially wanted for questioning by the Hawaii Police Department in a custodial interference investigation. The last time she and her daughter were seen in Hawaii was on the afternoon of July 6.

Violet stands 3 feet and 10 inches tall, weighs 43 pounds and has blond hair and hazel eyes. She was last seen wearing a white shirt, pink jacket, pink sweater, light-colored shorts and white shoes.

Coultas stands 5 feet and 11 inches tall, weighs 160 pounds and has straight, brown hair and hazel eyes.

What’s the criteria for a Turquoise Alert?

Turquoise Alerts are issued in Arizona when the following criteria are met:

• The missing person is under the age of 65.
• The investigating agency has exhausted all available local resources.
• The person’s disappearance occurred under unexplained or suspicious circumstances.
• The missing person is believed to be in danger, in the company of a potentially dangerous person or otherwise in peril.
• Public information could assist in the safe recovery of the missing person.

The bill creating the new alert system was signed into law in May.

It’s also known as “Emily’s Law” in honor of 14-year-old Emily Pike, a San Carlos Apache tribal member who was found dismembered in the woods after being reported missing from a Mesa group home. The case brought attention to the need for improved notification systems for missing, at-risk people under the age of 65, including members of the Indigenous community.